


Dobby is an Employed Elf!

by Lemikita



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:29:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29610840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lemikita/pseuds/Lemikita
Summary: Dobby is looking for employment but it's not going very well...





	Dobby is an Employed Elf!

**Author's Note:**

> This work was inspired by a friend of mine in the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text reading group "Munich Marauders".  
> Check us out on https://munichmarauders.org/

The door slammed shut mere centimetres in front of his nose. He turned away from the small cottage and continued down the small country lane through the dreary weather.  
Dobby sighed. This had been his 17th rejection of permanent employment. And all because he was asking for a little pay in return. It wasn't like he didn't like work, he very much enjoyed doing chores around the house. He only asked for a modicum of respect in return and not to be abused. And, he argued to himself, if someone wouldn't even pay him a single knut for his work, they surely didn't think him worth much at all. But Dobby knew that he was worth something because Harry Potter had treated him with respect. And Harry Potter surely knew better than the rest of them.  
As he was reminiscing of the only time somebody had treated him somewhat decently, he had a Eureka moment.  
“Dobby will go to Hogwarts! Yes, if Harry Potter feels safe at Hogwarts and wouldn't even leave when his arm was broken and his bones were gone then maybe there's a place for Dobby there as well!”, he exclaimed. His large ears perked up and there was a twinkle in his eye for the first time in a very long while. With a loud crack, he vanished.

* * *

Professor Dumbledore was studying a newly published paper on the effects of unicorn blood in the alchemical process of turning gold to chocolate when there was a knock on the door.  
“Come in,” he called as he put the parchment aside.  
To his astonishment it was Professor Sprout who came in the door, followed by a house elf dressed in the usual attire of house elves with the addition of a very dirty sock on one foot.  
“Albus, so sorry to disturb you. I was on my way to the Hufflepuff common room when I found Dobby here. He's not one of ours, but he was trying to get into the kitchen. I didn't know what to make of it, so I brought him here.”  
The headmaster gave the nervous looking elf a scrutinizing look over his spectacles.  
“That's quite alright, I'll have a word with him myself. Thank you, Pomona.”  
The elf took a hesitant step forward.  
“Please, sir, Dobby would like to apply to work in Hogwarts, sir! Dobby is a hard working elf and he will do as you tell him. Only, Dobby is a free elf now, so Dobby wants to be paid, sir.” There was a defiant look in the elf's large eyes as he nervously wrangled the hem of his pillowcase tunic.  
“Please, Dobby, take a seat.” Dumbledore flicked his wand and a house elf sized chair appeared. Once the small creature had taken a seat, the chair's legs grew taller so that the two of them were the same height.  
Dumbledore hmm'ed curiously. “Well, there is always plenty of work around here. To my knowledge you were previously working in Malfoy manor, is that right?”  
Dobby shifted in his seat. “Yes, Dobby worked for Master Malfoy for his whole life. But Dobby didn't have a very good life. Master was mean to Dobby.” For a short moment it looked like Dobby would be able to stay seated, but the inner struggle proofed to be too much and he reached for a large book sitting on the edge of the headmaster's desk to whack himself over the head.  
Anticipating this, Dumbledore gave a swish of his wand and the book teleported to the book shelf before the elf could hurt himself.  
“I understand that it may be hard for you to speak ill of your old masters, but you have to remember that they are your old masters. You're not in their employ any more.”  
The elf clearly struggled as he hadn't accomplished hurting himself as a punishment for his words. After a tense minute he managed to nod and even appeared to relax a bit.  
“Good. Now, your application to work in Hogwarts as a free elf for payment is not in any way traditional. But, alas, the times are changing and who am I to stand in the way of change? I will offer you ten galleons a week and the weekends off. Would that be acceptable?”  
The house elf's eyes struggled to stay in their sockets. “No, sir, Dobby can't accept that much, sir, that is far too much galleons and too much free time. Dobby wants to work! The work won't get done if Dobby has so much free time! No, Dobby has to decline, that is too much.” He paused for a minute and the headmaster could almost see the wheels in his head turning. “Dobby supposes, one day a month off wouldn't be too bad. So Dobby could go see his friend Winky.”  
“That sounds like a very good idea, it's good to see one's friends regularly. And what about the pay?”  
“Oh, Dobby only needs very little, sir, one galleon a week is plenty enough for Dobby, yes sir!”  
“Then we are in agreement.” Dumbledore reached for a quill and some parchment. With a gentle push of his wand, the quill shot across the parchment. When it was done, it returned to its place in the ink bottle. “I have put all that we've agreed on in this contract here. Read through it and if you agree with what I've written, sign here.” He handed the scroll of parchment to the astonished elf.  
“A contract, sir? A real contract for Dobby?”, his voice quivered and his eyes misted over. “Dobby has never had a contract, sir.” He blew his nose into a large handkerchief he produced from apparently nowhere and hurried to read through the contract and sign. When he was done, Dumbledore signed as well and then duplicated the document with his wand and handed one copy of it to Dobby, who looked at it with amazement.  
The headmaster crossed over to the fireplace where a small inconspicuous bell was located on the mantle. After he rang it, there was a loud crack and a house elf appeared by his side.  
“You rang, Master Dumbledore?”, the house elf asked with a deep bow.  
“Yes, Gilly, I have a new house elf here. His name is Dobby and he is a free elf who is now one of my employees. I want you to show him where he'll sleep and tomorrow you'll show him the chores.” Gilly bowed deeply in acknowledgement.  
Dobby leaped down from his chair and bowed as well. “Thank you, sir, Dobby will work very hard!” He was still clutching his contract and had tears in his eyes. “This will be the best work Dobby will ever have!”


End file.
